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Editor's note: Welcome to Week 6! We're handling Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em column a bit differently this season. You're still getting the same in-depth analysis as always, we're just presenting a bit differently, in an effort to get it out to you earlier in the day. This column takes a long time to write, and in the past, we've usually gotten it out to you in the evening. This year, we're going to publish it position-by-position, to get it into your hands quicker. Here's Jamey's take on quarterbacks for this week.
Don't worry: If you want the classic Start 'Em & Sit 'Em, we'll still be publishing that at the end of the day with every position included. For now, here's quarterback.
Quarterback
Note: Projections are provided by SportsLine.com.
| 27.8 projected points |
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons QB
|
| Ryan should be fine coming off the foot injury he sustained in Week 5 at Pittsburgh, and he should bounce back from his poor performance against the Steelers. He scored 16 Fantasy points, which was his lowest total since Week 1 at Philadelphia, and those are his lone road games so far this season. In three home games against Carolina, New Orleans and Cincinnati, Ryan is averaging 38.7 Fantasy points, and he should stay hot against Tampa Bay this week. The Buccaneers have allowed 1,480 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and just one interception in four games. Ryan could finish as the No. 1 Fantasy quarterback this week. | |
| 18.0 projected points |
Andrew Luck
Indianapolis Colts QB
|
| Luck is averaging 35.5 Fantasy points in his past two games against Houston and New England, but he attempted 121 passes over that span to get his production. We don't expect him to be throwing that much against a Jets team with a subpar offense, but I'm still counting on Luck to be successful this week. In their past two games, the Jets have allowed 765 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions against Blake Bortles and Case Keenum. Luck, despite not having T.Y. Hilton (hamstring) and Jack Doyle (hip), should still post 25-plus Fantasy points for the third week in a row. | |
| 21.0 projected points |
Kirk Cousins
Minnesota Vikings QB
|
| Cousins has faced Arizona in the past two seasons, and he's scored at least 19 Fantasy points in each outing. He was with the Redskins then, but he should perform well in this matchup now that he's in Minnesota. Cousins played great in Week 5 at Philadelphia when he completed 81 percent of his passes for 301 yards and one touchdown. He only scored 16 Fantasy points, but he should easily eclipse that total this week. And if Dalvin Cook (hamstring) remains out, look for Cousins to once again throw 36-plus passes, which he's done in every game this year. | |
| 18.0 projected points |
Andy Dalton
Cincinnati Bengals QB
|
| Dalton had a down game in Week 5 against Miami with just 14 Fantasy points, but he should bounce back this week. The matchup against Pittsburgh is great, and Dalton scored 22 Fantasy points against the Steelers in Cincinnati last year. Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 320 passing yards per game with 14 total touchdowns and four interceptions. The Bengals can stay in first place in the AFC North with a win this week, and I expect Dalton to show up and perform at a high level, especially given the opposing defense he's facing. | |
| 15.6 projected points |
Eli Manning
New York Giants QB
|
| Surprisingly, there's a lot to like about Manning this week with his matchup against the Eagles. Last year, in two meetings with Philadelphia, Manning went off for 800 passing yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, scoring an average of 30.5 Fantasy points in each outing. The Eagles have been bad on the road this season, with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Marcus Mariota combining for 746 passing yards, seven total touchdowns and two interceptions. And Manning has scored 23 Fantasy points in two of his past three games. I'm confident this will be a good week for Manning on Thursday night. | |
Sleepers
- Derek Carr (vs. SEA): Carr only has one game with multiple touchdowns this season, but he's No. 5 in the NFL in passing yards. Seattle hasn't exactly faced a gauntlet of top quarterbacks this season, and Carr has the chance for his second-best Fantasy game of the season. He's worth using in two-quarterback leagues.
- Case Keenum (vs. LAR): The Rams defense has struggled of late with Philip Rivers, Cousins and Russell Wilson combining for 846 passing yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Keenum just scored 25 Fantasy points in Week 5 at the Jets, and he could have similar production this week given the matchup.
- C.J. Beathard (at GB): He's scored at least 20 Fantasy points in consecutive weeks against the Chargers and Cardinals, and he should be chasing points this week at Green Bay, which could lead to garbage-time production. The Packers have allowed three of their past four opposing quarterbacks to throw multiple touchdowns, with Cousins in Week 2, Alex Smith in Week 3 and Matthew Stafford last week.
| 21.4 projected points |
Blake Bortles
Jacksonville Jaguars QB
|
| Bortles scored 22 Fantasy points in Week 5 at Kansas City, and it was one of the worst stat lines you will ever see. He passed for 430 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, along with 34 rushing yards and a touchdown, with a lost fumble. We'll see how he rebounds at Dallas, which is the second-consecutive road game for the Jaguars, and the Cowboys have been stingy against opposing quarterbacks. Matthew Stafford in Week 5 and Deshaun Watson last week are the lone quarterbacks with more than 20 Fantasy points against Dallas, and I expect Bortles to score fewer than 20 points this week. | |
| 21.4 projected points |
Alex Smith
Washington Redskins QB
|
| Smith flopped in Week 5 at New Orleans with 13 Fantasy points, and his receiving corps is a mess. Josh Doctson (heel) and Paul Richardson (knee) are hurt, and his running backs Adrian Peterson (shoulder) and Chris Thompson (ribs) are also ailing. This week, Smith faces a Carolina defense getting linebacker Thomas Davis back from suspension, and it's hard to trust Smith in anything more than two-quarterback leagues given his overall level of play this year. He has two games with at least 20 Fantasy points and two games with 13 points or less. | |
| 16.0 projected points |
Joe Flacco
Baltimore Ravens QB
|
| Flacco has started to look like Flacco of late, and he's only worth starting in two-quarterback leagues. He's scored 17 Fantasy points or less in two of his past three outings, and now he's playing his third road game in a row at Tennessee. The Titans have allowed 20-plus Fantasy points twice this season against Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz, but otherwise they have limited the production for Ryan Tannehill, Bortles and Josh Allen. Flacco falls more in line with the latter group, and he's not worth using as a streaming option in Week 6. | |
| 14.8 projected points |
Marcus Mariota
Tennessee Titans QB
|
| Mariota looked great in Week 4 against the Eagles with 33 Fantasy points, but he proceeded to flop in Week 5 at Buffalo. He scored four Fantasy points against the Bills, and he's now scored fewer than 10 points in three of four games this year. Granted, he was hurt for the first three weeks, but at some point, he has start producing on a consistent level. It will be hard to trust him even in two-quarterback leagues this week against the Ravens, who have only allowed Andy Dalton to throw multiple touchdown passes this year, including matchups against Case Keenum, Ben Roethlisberger and Baker Mayfield. | |
| 19.6 projected points |
Mitchell Trubisky
Chicago Bears QB
|
| The last time we saw Trubisky was in Week 4 against Tampa Bay, and he scored 55 Fantasy points that week with 354 passing yards and six touchdowns, along with 53 rushing yards. He will have a tougher test on the road at Miami, and the Dolphins have allowed just one quarterback to throw multiple touchdowns, which was Tom Brady in Week 4, including matchups with Mariota, Derek Carr and Dalton. Miami also has an interception in every game, with 10 for the season. Trubisky is barely an option in two-quarterback leagues this week. | |
Bust Alert
Wentz has done a nice job in his past two games, and he's scored at least 23 Fantasy points in both outings. But he has a terrible track record against the Giants, with just 692 passing yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in three career games. Watson in Week 3 is the lone quarterback with 20-plus Fantasy points against the Giants, including matchups against Drew Brees and Cam Newton, and New York should get pass rusher Olivier Vernon (ankle) on the field for the first time this year. Wentz should be considered a low-end starting option this week, but I'm nervous about his production, especially since he's been sacked 12 times in three games.
So who should you sit and start? And what shocking QB could win you Week 6? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy football rankings for every single position, and see which shocking QB finishes in the top 10 this week, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.